Kabuli pulao
Kabuli pulao is a variety of pilaf made in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. It is known in Afghanistan as Qābilī palaw, and in Uzbekistan as the Osh palov, with neither country referring to it by the name of the city. In English the dish tends to be known by the name Kabuli. In Saudi Arabia it is known by the name Bukhari rice, after the city of Bukhara, Uzbekistan.
The core ingredients are steamed rice mixed with caramelized carrots and raisins as well as marinated meat. Kabuli pulao is commonly garnished with almonds and pistachios. Saffron may be added to either the rice, the sauce or the garnishes. Varieties of Kabuli pulao have spread from Afghanistan to different parts of Western and Central Asia and Pakistan.
Origin
Although referred to in English as "Kabuli", the dish did not originate in Kabul. More likely, the dish originated at the border of Northern Afghanistan with Uzbekistan. Additionally, longstanding communities of northern Afghans and Central Asian émigrés in Saudi Arabia have collectively referred to themselves as "Bukhari's", and have marketed this dish in the region as "Bukhari rice".A variation of Qabili made by Uzbeks within Afghanistan is also referred to as "Uzbeki palaw". The Uzbeki version differs from traditional Afghan palaw preparation in that it doesn't steam the rice, but instead boils the rice until all liquid has been absorbed. Palaw dishes form a specific and longstanding tradition of rice preparation in the region, likely dating back as far as Bactrian times.
Etymology
"Kabuli" may be a misspelling of "Qabili", which comes from Persian قابل. The name "Qabili" appears to have been applied early on to a complex pilaf dish in Persian-language contexts, with the first written Qabili pilaf recipes appearing during the Safavid period in Ali Bavarchi's 1521 manuscript Kār-nāma. This work currently constitutes the oldest cookbook in Persian."Pulao" arises from a common transcription of "pilaaf" across various languages. In Persian, پلو is often transcribed as "palao", "palaw", "palau", etc to reflect the Classical diphthong, which is preserved in Dari, and is otherwise often transcribed "polow" or "polo" to reflect Iranian dialects, which have largely lost the diphthong.